The present invention relates generally to protective work gloves, and more particularly to plastic material dip-coated work gloves, having a paneled interior lining layer.
Currently, several types of dip-coated work gloves having an exterior surface layer of plastic material and an interior lining layer, are utilized in industrial, commercial and residential applications. The majority of these dip-coated gloves have exterior surface layers comprised of polyvinylchloride, latex, rubber and the like. A glove of this type which is enveloped in a plastic substance, provides several advantages for the user. Among these advantages is the ability to use just such a glove in liquid immersible applications. Covering a glove, for example, with a plastic substance having liquid proof characteristics as most high-molecular weight plastic materials have, imparts a liquid impervious exterior layer so as to protect the user from water, caustic solutions or chemicals in which he must submerge his protected hand. Additionally, several other types of plastic material dip-coated work gloves are utilized, not necessarily to be liquid proof, but also for use in "dry" applications in which firm gripping and dexterity characteristics must be possessed by a glove, and still yet other applications where a user's hands must be protected. This second type of plastic coated glove is often produced by curing a dip-coated glove to yield many minute perforations into the outer surface so as to provide comfort for the user, while treating the exposed layer of plastic material so as to produce thousands of minute projections on this layer, which assist the user in grabbing and maintaining holds on objects, while improving the dexterity of the glove itself.
The conventional dip-coated work glove, while adequately protecting the user's hands in the applications before mentioned, and while imparting to the user several desired features such as dexterity and grip, still has several drawbacks which the present invention minimizes.
For example, the interior lining layer of a presently used conventional glove is, for the most part, formed by the seaming together, through sewing and stitching, of two lining portions. These two portions are the front portion and the back portion of the interior lining layer. In such a construction, it is inevitable that the bulky stitched seams connecting the front portion to the back portion, run along the sides of the thumb, fingers, palm and back of the hand, and directly contact these portions of the hand and fingers when the user's hand is inserted inside the glove, and throughout the productive use of the glove, producing unnecessary discomfort.
Additionally, the coating of the exterior surface of such a work glove with a plastic substance of high molecular weight, by nature, imparts to the glove a degree of discomfort because of the glove's inability to allow cool air in and its failure to allow a worker's perspiration and heat out. Obviously, if a glove is impervious to liquids on its exterior, it will similarly be liquid proof to the heat and perspiration of the user from the interior. This retention of body heat and perspiration within the glove often produces discomfort for the user.
In many work applications it is necessary, for the comfort of the user similarly, to impart extra depth to a glove. This additional depth improves manipulation, flexibility, and the general comfortability to a user. Quite often, dipcoated work gloves are worn by employees for as much as five to seven hours a day. A glove having extra depth imparted as a characteristic, further allows more exposure of the glove so as to enable the entrance of cooling air into the glove while being used, so as to assist in cooling of the user's hands, as well as the evaporation of the accumulated perspiration previously discussed.
The primary reasons for which the dip-coated work glove is disposed of, replaced and repaired arises out of the substantial usage of the glove and the abrasive wearing of the exterior surface as well as rips and tears associated with such a substantial usage. As previously discussed, the majority of conventional dip-coated work gloves has a tough cord-like seam running from the exterior portion of the thumb along the side of the glove to the exterior side of a user's "pinkie" finger. Thus, the seam can be thought of as dividing the user's hand into a front portion of hand and fingers and into a back portion of hand and fingers. This construction, as mentioned, promotes an unavoidable continuous contact between the surface of the user's hands and fingers and the somewhat bulky seam itself. It is only natural, because of this construction, that a user apply most of his exerted force from his hand and fingers along the seam. Thus, in a majority of situations, a user's hand is against the seam above the hand, and the plastic material coated onto and directly above the seam, comes most often into direct contact with work objects. In such situations, the seam and its associated stitching, place undue force on the plastic material coated directly above them when a user's hand exerts force on work pieces. This has a tendency to cause the plastic material directly above the seams to wear unevenly compared to the plastic material surrounding and enveloping the rest of the glove. Thus, an inordinate amount of wear occurs on the exterior plastic material directly above the seams which are being pushed into the coated material when the glove is used by the user himself. Not only will abrasive wear occur most at these points, but also associated rips and tears have a tendency to occur at these portions of the work glove.
The present invention minimizes these disadvantages associated with a conventional dip-coated worked glove by intentionally utilizing inserted panels in the form of four-chettes and sidewalls so as to move these stitched seams out of contact with the user's hands and thus out of the direction of force of the user's hands. Additionally, the inclusion of separate panels provides additional absorbent material within the glove on the interior surface of the plastic material, so as to improve perspiration absorption from the user's hands and to make the glove more comfortable. Additionally, a paneled section imparts a new dimension of material into the glove itself so as to impart more depth to the glove for manipulation, flexibility, comfort and improved air intake features, and cools the interior of the glove while improving the associated evaporation of perspiration.
Finally, the dip-coated work glove utilizing such a panel feature removes the seams from that direction of force of the user's hand, so as to relocate the seams away from contact with the user's hands when working, and thus prevents abrasive wear on the seam portions as well as the associated rips and tears occuring at these points.
It is thus an object of the present invention to relocate the stitched seam area so as to make a dip-coated work glove more comfortable for its user, and to minimize a user's contact with such seams.
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide more material for the absorption of a user's perspiration and heat, which is emitted during work operations.
It is further an object of the present invention to impart additional depth to a work glove to improve manipulation, flexibility, comfort, and the air intake characteristics of such a protective article.
Further, it is an object to remove the seam portions of the interior layer of a plastic material-coated work glove so as to keep such seams away from contact when the user of such a glove is exerting force on a work piece, and thus to improve the wearability of such a glove, while minimizing the need to repair, recoat, or replace the glove.
At the same time, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for efficiently fabricating such a glove which possesses the above-identified characteristics.